


E•MO•TION

by NotLostAnymore



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Achievement Hunter Kings, Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Drabble Collection, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Heartbreak, Implied Sexual Content, Inspired by Music, M/M, Mad King Ryan, Prom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 04:03:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7786048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotLostAnymore/pseuds/NotLostAnymore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One by one they all fall in love. Gavin finds somebody to run away with while Michael and James live the LA life. Miles wishes he was dancing with the prom king while Mariel wishes she was the right girl for Meg. There's no right way to love, there's only really a free-fall into emotion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	E•MO•TION

>    **1\. Run Away With Me**

Gavin had never realized the Red Light District was so  _purple_. It was lit up in a warm glow as bodies thrived around them, admiring in curiosity what was surely Amsterdam's biggest attraction. It wasn't a place Gavin had ever expected to find himself but life with Geoff was like that. It was an open road, a winding path, a steep hill sending him free-falling. It was fast then slow, soft and then hard. It was one of those rare things he didn't feel the need to label.

"I bet you'd look great in one of those windows," Gavin mused, drawing a delirious chuckle out from Geoff's lips.

"Christ, Gav, how many brownies did you eat?" Geoff wheezed in response, his arm slipping protectively around the smaller male's waist. Gavin felt his heart flutter at the contact, his body relaxing against the other's. He'd never particularly enjoyed being touched but with Geoff... well, lots of things were different with Geoff.  _He_ was different with Geoff. A good different, like he could finally remove the mask he forced himself to wear so often. "You're baked."

Gavin nestled his head against Geoff's shoulder, a dopey smile spreading across his face. "Like a cake," he agreed, staring more at the neon signs than any other distraction. He didn't want to think what life would be like if he'd never left that small town in England, if he'd never run away. He had somebody to encourage him to take that leap now and that was all he really needed. Somebody to run with.

Lacing their fingers together in a gentle grip, Gavin let himself be pulled along. The hazy mix of red and purple would be long behind them soon and there was really no telling what would replace it. That was half the fun though, wasn't it?

 

> **2. E•MO•TION**

It turned out that broken hearts hurt like a bitch. Spoole had never been in a relationship before but he'd been warned time and time again that things would probably end badly between him and Bruce and it would be messy, he'd just chosen not to believe them. Then of course, their usual disagreements turned into arguments and suddenly their shared apartment didn't seem like such a welcoming home anymore. Walking out was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life and yeah, his heart was broken.

But after that, something amazing started to happen.

The world seemed to open up before him, friends rallying around him and lifting him out of the slump he'd fallen in. Fruity cocktails with Joel, Netflix marathons with Lawrence, weekend trips with Omar... piece by piece it built him back up so when Bruce eventually came knocking, begging for him back he didn't feel like he needed to go back. Bruce was by no means a bad person but that was a part of Spoole's life that he wanted to put behind him so he did.

It was funny in a mean way, really. His heart had broken all at once and slowly mended over time. Bruce's, on the other hand, couldn't seem to cover up the cracks Spoole had left in it. Maybe there was a future that involved the both of them together again but unless that came about, he felt quite content growing stronger by himself. He was learning to love himself again because somehow he'd forgotten how to do that along the way.

For right now at least, if Bruce still wanted him then he'd have to settle for nothing more than a fantasy.

 

> **3\. I Really Like You**

"I can't just  _say it_ ," Trevor huffed, earning himself a glare from Matt. Then again that was hardly unusual considering Matt was approximately one-hundred-and-twelve percent done with his crap at any given moment in time. 

"Sure you can. Just go up and be like 'hey, I like you'," Matt advised in between mouthfuls of whatever elaborate sandwich he'd brought into work that morning. Some strange cauldron of meat and sauce that made Trevor want to to turn his nose up in disgust. "Guaranteed to work ever time."

In all honesty he wasn't sure why he was asking Matt of all people for dating advice. The guy was about as blunt as a wooden plank to the back of the head and Trevor really wasn't sure that Caleb would respond kindly to that. "I _like_ you?" he repeated, sighing in despair. "I think I may need to say something more than that.

"Okay then, I  _really_ like you. Chuck a few more really's in there if you wanna make your poi-- Oh, hey Caleb!" Wait, what? Matt was looking over his shoulder and Trevor felt his heart race as he glanced over to confirm that yes, it really was his crush entering the room. "Trevor was just asking where you were. I'll leave you guys to it." Matt, being the asshole that was, gave him a wink which he guessed was supposed to be for luck before leaving the room.

Caleb's smile was bright and beautiful as he met Trevor's eyes. "What's up, Treyco?"

Trevor didn't let himself think. He swallowed his nerves, rest both his hands on Caleb's shoulders and let it all out. "I really, really, _really_ like you."

Okay, that hadn't been his plan at all. Judging by the stunned look on Caleb's face, it wasn't what he had expected him to say either but it would have to do now. Matt was right, it definitely got the point across. He just hoped he hadn't gone overboard with the really's...

 

> **4\. Gimmie Love**

Jeremy wasn't sure if it was because the hurt was still fresh but every time he turned the corner onto Adam's street, his heart began to ache a little more. They'd only gone on their supposed 'break' a week ago and it already felt like too much. Truth be told, he'd expected himself to be a lot more relaxed about it considering it had been his idea in the first place but nope, apparently his brain and heart were walking in tandem to sabotage him. 

He'd been worried that they were moving too fast, that he was throwing his youth away. Okay, so he was twenty-six and that seemed like a fair amount of time to have recklessly enjoyed his youth by but he'd never considered himself to be the settling down type. Things with Adam though... well they'd moved a lot quicker than he'd anticipated. He honestly couldn't remember his last relationship that lasted longer than three months but they had just passed a year and Adam was already talking about moving in together and it scared Jeremy because he wasn't even that opposed to it. He felt like he should be more scared by it than he actually was and his brain wasn't really catching up to what that meant.

Those moments alone he and Adam shared were beyond words. The warmth of being wrapped up in his arms, the breathlessness that came with their entanglements under the sheets, the joy had spread through him the first time they'd held hands in public. Jeremy wasn't sure he'd felt that way with anybody before or that he even could with anyone else.

He didn't even remember pulling up outside the older man's place. All he knew was that his eyes were fixed on the door, heartbeat racing as if he expected the other to step outside then and there. What would he say? _"I_ _fucked up, take me back."_  Would that even cut it now?  _"I want you. I need you."_ The longer he stared at the door, the more obvious it seemed. He'd gotten them in this mess and he had to be the one to get them out of it. He couldn't leave it too long, not this time.

This one wasn't going to slip through his fingers.

 

> **5\. All That**

Prom King. Miles couldn't be prouder, really, he couldn't. He had always known that Kyle was destined for this, even from the moment they'd got into that first argument over Barbie dolls when they were five years old. They had been neighbors, accomplices, best friends but never the one that mattered most in his mind. Never  _lovers_. It was a fruitless hope because how could somebody with such high prospects ever expect to settle for somebody like Miles?

Over time best friends had given way to old friends and that fell to uncomfortable distance. Miles silently let it happen, content with being happy from afar. From the other side of the gymnasium with only a drink of punch for company while Kyle danced with the Prom Queen. He looked so happy with that dumb crown on his head and Miles so desperately wanted to keep his promise to be happy for him because that was  _Kyle_ but he couldn't. He didn't want Kyle to be dancing with anyone other than him but that was nothing but a fantasy, a hopeless dream that was years too late to be a reality. He'd missed his chance to be honest.

What Miles didn't know was that when he stared down at his punch, Kyle stared at him. They were dancing in their own way, never quite catching each other at the right moment even as their hearts beat to the same steady rhythm. It always had because deep down Kyle wanted them to be more than old friends, more than neighbors, more than best friends. He wanted to run to Miles, take him in his arms and dance. His body ached for it and yet his mind held him back, forcing a smile onto his lips as he looked back at his dancing partner. She was beautiful, she really was, but she wasn't what he wanted. Miles would never want him back, though. Miles needed somebody who could match his smarts and his wit, not some jumped up jock who was destined for nothing great. Their lives had been intertwined once but they were on different paths, he knew that.

The boys danced together for the rest of the night, only neither of them realized it. 

  

> **6\. Boy Problems**

"You're miserable, get out," Mica had said it time and time again but Barbara had always chosen to ignore her. "It's not working, you're worth better than him." They were best friends of course but her relationship with Blaine wasn't something outsiders would ever really understand. It was easy for Mica to say that Blaine was bad for her because she didn't know the intricacies of their relationship, not like Barbara did. There was no denying that they were in love but recently... well, recently Mica's words started making a lot more sense.

It wasn't that Blaine was a bad guy, he just tended to live in his own world a lot of the time and coming second best was really beginning to wear Barbara down. Their dates would be cancelled so he could hang out with his work friends, he'd come home late from the gym and the dinner she'd prepared had already gone cold, he'd only hum in agreement as she tried to make plans. Simply put, he just wasn't as invested in their relationship as she was and that seemed like a problem. A pretty big problem.

"If you're going to go then go," Mica advised, a weary tone to her voice. It felt like they'd had this conversation a thousand times before but Barbara had never really been listening until now. She needed to do this, she knew it, she just hadn't realized how difficult it would be. She didn't like the thought of hurting anyone, especially not Blaine, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she'd approached a junction at her life and it meant losing either Blaine or Mica. What was worse, losing a lover or a best friend?

It was settled. Today was the day that Barbara was finally done with her boy problems.

 

> **7\. Making the Most of the Night**

What would you do with only twelve hours left to live? It was a question that Ryan suddenly found himself faced with because the moment it ticked across nine o'clock the next morning his body would probably end up in the river. He supposed he should be more terrified by that prospect than he was in reality but everybody in Los Santos knew what a risky game they were playing. The city was run by thugs, thugs that didn't like people crossing them. It wasn't as if Ryan had even meant to, he had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and called the paramedics for the wrong person.  _They were supposed to die_ , they had said,  _You fucked it up_. 

He supposed they expected him to run. To make it a sport for them. Twelve hours was definitely enough time to disappear but that wasn't the life Ryan wanted. He couldn't live always looking over his shoulder, expecting the crew to rock up at any moment and tear him limb from limb. If he was going to die then he'd do it with his head held high.

And apparently with a hickey on his neck too. That had been a most unexpected addition to his night, but then so had Elyse in her entirety. She was warm like the sun, vibrant and shocking in a city that felt like it hadn't seen sunrise in years. She had rested her hand in his lap, smiled something gorgeous and promised that if it was going to be Ryan's last night, it would be the most perfect night he'd ever experienced.

She didn't disappoint either. A bottle of wine passed between them, the sky flowering in excitement as Ryan laughed harder, danced with more confidence, kissed without hesitation. She made Los Santos feel like a playground when Ryan had only ever seen a graveyard. There were only four hours left and somehow that felt like both too much time and none at all. Elyse was there, her fingers delicately prying him free of his shirt and her promises covering him like a blanket.

For the first time in his life, Ryan truly felt  _alive_. Wasn't irony a bitch?

  

> **8\. Your Type**

Mariel hadn't wanted to be that girl who fell for her best friend because come on, hadn't that been overdone? Just because they were both girls who liked girls didn't mean anything had to happen between them. Despite her intentions though she'd ended up falling and suddenly being with Meg felt like the most painful joy she'd ever experienced. Every smile was laced with hope, every invitation to hang out hid desperation and every time she saw Meg with Lindsay and forced herself to be happy for them, she felt herself fall apart just a little bit more.

Eventually suffering in silence had been too much. Mariel had never been good with words though and an attempt at confession turned into an argument, turned into her becoming a person she didn't want to be. Petty, jealous, mean. Lindsay was good for Meg, her head knew that but her heart didn't want to cooperate. It was filled with a need that wasn't going to be filled and she was struggling to deal with it.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't fair for me to say that," she admitted, the days of silence from her best friend hurting far more than the pain of seeing her with Lindsay did. The " _I love you, I'm sorry, forgive me"_ was left unsaid.

"It wasn't," Meg hummed in agreement while she wrapped her arms around Mariel and pulled her into a warm embrace. They both knew that their connection ran deeper than a simple friendship, they just interpreted it in different ways. Mariel had given into a dream of romance while Meg saw the most platonic of soulmates. Her other half, perhaps, but she'd already given her part of that heart to Lindsay and she didn't regret it. She was young and in love but she wanted her best friend to enjoy that with her. Nothing was worth it if she didn't have her there. That, at least, was something their hearts could agree on.

 

> **9\. Let's Get Lost**

"I'm gonna say it," Cole sighed, fighting back the grin that was threatening to break free. They were on some back road a few hundred miles out of Austin and judging from the erratic route they had taken in their journey back home, they were most definitely --

"We're not lost," Tyler said sharply, tongue poking out of his lips as he focused all of his attention on the signs adorning the side of the street. "Don't you dare suggest that." An outsider to their conversation might have perceived the moment as frosty but Cole knew his boyfriend well enough by now, he recognized how adorable the other man's stubborn streak was. Tyler didn't like failing in any manner of the word and getting lost? Well, apparently getting lost qualified for that too.

Considering it was two in the morning and the wind was bitterly cold, a strange sense of elation woke inside Cole. As he looked over at his boyfriend he realized that he felt the same way he did when they'd first met, his heartbeat racing as his eyes took in the beautiful man before him. He hadn't known it then but Tyler had become such an integral part of his life that he couldn't think of anything more perfect then getting lost with him. In fact, there was a part of Cole that was even glad because it was just another adventure for them to share and whether Tyler realized it or not, it made Cole fall in love with him just a little bit more.

"We're not lost," he hummed in agreement, the grin finally breaking free. "We've got each other."

The laugh that left Tyler's lips was loud and hysterical. In fact, it was enough to make Tyler push down on the breaks so he could probably look after at him. "Man, that was pretty gay," he remarked, his face flushed red and a wide smile on his face that somehow made him even more beautiful than he already was.

"That was the point, babe," Cole pointed out, rolling out. "I hate to break the news but we're  _both_ pretty gay." And then, just to prove his point, he stole a quick kiss from the other's lips.

Yep, taking the long way home definitely had its advantages.

  

> **10\. LA Hallucinations**

"Of course we have an invite.  _Don't you know who I am?_ " James harped, his voice slurring as he faced down the unimpressed bouncer. It was probably a miracle he hadn't been knocked on his ass already but so much of their night was based on miracles that Michael was surprised it had taken this long for the world to get dizzy. They'd sauntered right onto the red carpet as if it was their home, following stars and cynics straight into the party. An open bar was anyone's weakness but James took to it like a kid to candy and Michael watched, hoping the adoration in his eyes wasn't too obvious.

It had been James' plan and Michael had been happy to go along. It was reckless and foolish and right up his avenue, plus it meant he got the opportunity to see James in his sharpest suit and that was _his_  weakness, one that James was all too aware of and more than happy to exploit. People had stared at them like they were some great mystery but Michael liked that. His hand was on James' ass as they mingled at the bar, fooling some poor director into believing that they were indie darlings. "Oh yeah, the critics love us," James boasted, playing his part with so much enthusiasm that he could probably school a good majority of the actors around them. "We're real serious. Only the best scripts, you know? We've got reputations to uphold." It was the biggest load of bullshit Michael had ever heard and it  _worked_.

Well, it worked to a point. To the door of the afterparty, to be precise. The afterparty with an unimpressed bouncer and a beautifully disheveled James and Michael who was wondering how long they'd spend in a cell this time before their friends bailed them out. That was just LA life though, one big acid trip that never seemed to end where they could be indie movie stars or jumped up crooks and everything worked. It didn't matter that the bouncer was physically pushing them back, that Michael was already pulling his fist back because in the morning there would be nothing to stop them from doing it all over again.

 

> **11\. Warm Blood**

"Are you sure you won't let me turn you?"

It wasn't the first time Joel had asked. It was funny really, he'd never asked anybody that before in all of his years and yet the question hadn't stopped leaving his lips since his path had first crossed Adam's. He felt a connection there which he hadn't ever experienced before, like the younger man was bringing him back to life. He had tried denying it for the longest time, fearing the desires that played on repeat in his mind but some things were too strong for his resistance. Adam was like a rock, unmovable and unapologetic. 

Spending eternity with the other man indeed sounded like a perfect reality but few things were so kind where Joel was concerned. Adam was far too in touch with his humanity to give it up. He was the day and Joel was the night, skirting around each other but never quite becoming one. Adam still had friends, still had family - a whole life built up with a future that didn't involve vampires. Joel knew it wasn't fair for him to ask Adam to give that up and yet he did. The boy had gotten under his skin more than he'd ever realized.

Adam's apologetic eyes betrayed the smile on his lips. He moved in to kiss Joel on the forehead, pulling the older man closer against his body. "Just drink," he whispered, closing his eyes and exposing his neck.

So he did.

  

> **12\. When I Needed You**

There was a certain amount of guilt that spread throughout Jordan whenever he woke up after a dream about Dan. It had been months after they'd broken up but the wounds still hadn't quite healed, despite the efforts of his best friends to distract him. He'd even been on dates since then but nothing had been successful because it was as if he couldn't jump over the hurdle that Dan presented in his mind.

Once upon a time he'd considered Dan to be the perfect boyfriend. His kisses had felt like the sun was rising and everything was warm and perfect. He was strong where Jordan was weak, funny where he was not. They balanced each other out and for a time that had been everything to Jordan. He couldn't possibly consider needing anything else but then things in his life had gotten bad, issues with family and his mental health and Dan... well, Dan just wasn't there. Barbara was and Miles was but Dan seemed almost like a shadow, present but never invested. 

Eventually Jordan had called things off between them, a decision that still haunted him. Every now and then he thought that maybe if  _he_ could change then he could go back to Dan and be perfect again but- no. There was no happiness in changing yourself for someone, he knew that. If Dan hadn't been there when he'd needed him most then why should he scramble to be someone that Dan might actually care about again?

He still had those dreams and he still felt guilty for everything that had happened but at least he knew he had the strength to stand by his choice..

 

> **13\. Black Heart**

They said the Mad King had a black heart, an evil twisted thing that had been corrupting him since birth. Everybody had heard the stories of his campaign for power, ruling over the kingdom with a closed fist. Nobody dared cross him for fear that they would end up as one of his projects, locked up in holes in the castle's basement. Everybody knew that was where he kept his prisoners - or at least that was what people  _said_. You see, there was a lot of misinformation spread about the dreaded Mad King and the truth... well, the truth was there wasn't much reason to dread him at all.

Seducing the Mad King had started as a joke - possibly the riskiest joke of all time - suggested to Gavin by his closest friends. Everybody knew that the Free family had a lot of sway in the royal court and they were also well aware of the fact that the King seemed far more interested in men than women. Gavin was the perfect person to find his way into the royal chambers and he was foolish enough to agree to the challenge for a small sum of ten gold coins. 

He had expected an uphill battle with serious manipulation and lying to get him even close to succeeding. Hell, he'd been expecting a struggle to keep himself calm around the feared monarch. What he hadn't expected was for Ryan to be surprisingly gentle and polite and most surprisingly, incredibly charming. His sapphire blue eyes lit up whenever he saw Gavin, his tone softened and his touches were so delicate that the archer had to wonder if they'd ever been there at all.

Out of everything though, Gavin was most surprised to find that he was falling in love.

  

> **14\. I Didn't Just Come Here To Dance**

Aaron hated clubs. He hated alcohol, hated dancing. Hated being awake later than ten o'clock at night. Hated the music being louder than his thoughts. Hated the friends that ditched him the moment they were past the bouncer.

He didn't hate kissing though. In fact, he rather enjoyed kissing especially when it involved cute guys who were a cocktail of awkward charm and flushed cheeks. Chris was precisely the type of guy Aaron would go for if he didn't hate dating so much. He was slender and squishy, his body delicate against the rigid muscle of Aaron's chest. His hands found their way to Chris' slim waist while the other grabbed him by the collar, pulling him in closer as if any sort of distance between them at all was too much. As his lips left their mark on Chris' neck, he could faintly hear the boy gasping and mewling over the oppressive thump of the music. It was a noise that shot throughout his body, consuming him with a desire he hadn't felt in a long time. It was a miracle he didn't ravish him then and there.

Aaron still hated clubs and alcohol and yes, even dancing, but it seemed just a little less terrible with Chris there.

 

> **15\. Favourite Colour**

"I thought this would look nice with your suit for the wedding."

It wasn't even their wedding but it was certainly beginning to feel that way. The tie was a bright baby blue, Burnie's favorite color and it was simply one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen, at least until he looked up and caught sight of Ashley's hopeful expression. She was transcendent in her beauty but it ran deeper than that too. Her heart was beautiful, from the way she cared so deeply to the jokes she made that lit up his world when everything seemed so dark.

Things had moved fast between them and at first Burnie hadn't been sure how to feel about that. He'd been hurt in love before and was in no hurry to repeat the experience, even if him and Matt had been able to patch things up and become friends again. His feelings for the other man had been intense but he wasn't sure they'd ever matched what he felt for Ashley now and of course that scared him. How could it not? He was only human after all.

"I think you're right as always," he agreed, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close so he could place a gentle kiss on her forehead. The soft laugh Ashley let out only made his heart melt that little bit more. Maybe things were moving fast enough to scare him but in the end, he knew he wouldn't give it up for the world. Bright baby blue was his favorite color, but Ashley was his favorite  _everything_.

 

> **16\. Never Get To Hold You**

The bed felt empty without Josh beside him. It was as if a whirlwind had come and swept him away, it had been so sudden and cruel. It had taken hours for Stan's breathing to steady, for his eyes to stop watering, for his brain to calm down so he could try and sleep. He'd never been good in arguments but this one really had broken him. Before Josh, Stan had been that lonely guy stereotype - never had a date, too awkward for his own good, more interest in puppies than sex. That had changed slowly but surely as his relationship with Josh blossomed, even if he couldn't possibly understand what the other boy saw in him. Josh was strong and confident and everything he wasn't. That was just the surface though and underneath that was a man he got to know like the back of his hand, surprisingly vulnerable and impossibly caring. Needless to say, Stan had fallen head over heels in love.

Eventually Josh had realized the inevitable fact that he could do better though and decided to move on. He claimed that Stan was too passive, that he never showed how much he cared. That he didn't feel love. So they argued and he left.

The accusations broke Stan. He had never wanted to make anybody feel that way, as if he didn't care because it simply wasn't true. His whole heart had been invested in Josh, memorizing every curve of his muscles, every mark on his dark skin, every strange pronunciation of difficult words. There hadn't been anything about him that he hadn't loved and now he was gone, all because Stan had safeguarded his feelings a little too well. 

Maybe there would be a time to win Josh back, to prove that he really did care, but until then all he could do was sleep and imagine that the pillow he was cradling in his arms was still the person he was dreaming about.

 

> **17\. Love Again**

The timer on Caleb's arm still hadn't stopped counting. Not for Barbara, not for Jeremy, not for Ryan. Not for the thousands of people he'd met throughout his life. The world was so obsessed with the idea of soulmates that everything else was dismissed as a temporary distraction. That was all he'd been to those people, a way to pass their time before their soulmates eventually came along. He was left alone afterwards, still waiting for his timer to tick down even as it felt like an eternity.

Truth be told, Caleb wasn't even sure how he was going to deal with having a soulmate. He'd been screwed over so many times by relationships that he wasn't sure he even knew  _how_ to love anymore. It was a push-and-pull game that he never seemed to win and all it ever did was leave him broken and cynical. He felt like he had every reason to be though because it had become increasingly clear that he just wasn't good enough.

"You know that we can't be together," Barbara had told him in a solemn voice over dinner the night she moved on.

"I wanted us to be together forever, but I gotta go," Jeremy had said, right before he packed up his stuff and left.

"You'll learn to love again," Ryan assured him, placing a kiss on Caleb's forehead before he went to go meet his soulmate.

Their words had all seemed hollow then and they hadn't gained any weight since either. They left Caleb bitter at the world but he knew it was more than just a general anger at being left behind. It was jealousy, pure and simple. All around the world people were finding their other halves, guided by a small timer on their left wrist only Caleb's was still a whole eighteen months away.

Months soon turned into weeks though and then those weeks became mere days. Caleb became anxious every time he glanced at his timer, knowing that soon he'd finally meet the person he was supposedly destined to spend his life with. Over time his heart had covered up some of the scars that his exes had left behind but it wasn't enough to reassure him that everything would be okay this time. There was still a whole troop of guards protecting his heart because he knew that if anybody could do any lasting damage it would be his soulmate.

Of all the places he could have met his soulmate though, it had to be at the goddamn coffee shop where he worked. He'd barely glanced up from the counter and taken in the sight of the scruffy-haired man before he felt a stinging in his left wrist. He glanced down and sure enough his timer had reached zero, meaning... "So I'm your soulmate," a surprisingly kind voice said from across the counter, forcing Caleb to look back up. The guy was cute, probably around the same age as Ryan but skinnier and far less intimidating at first sight. His stubble was over-growing and his choice of t-shirts was questionable at best but yeah, he was pretty damn cute. In fact he was enough to make Caleb forget to breathe for a second and then he was just spluttering and embarrassing himself and  _oh god, everything is terrible_.

"H- hey," he managed to get out finally, his cheeks burning bright pink as he tried to do his best to relax, "I, uh, I guess I'm yours too. Caleb, by the way. In case the name badge didn't give it away." Before he even knew what he was doing, he was holding out on empty coffee cup for the other man. Much to his surprise, the guy took it from him with a look of amusement on his face.

"Geoff," the man introduced himself, "I'll wait for you to get off."

For the next thirty minutes of his shift Caleb could barely focus, his eyes kept darting over to the table in the corner of the room where Geoff was excitedly tapping away on his phone. Every now and then their eyes would meet and he was sent back to being a blushing mess. As a result he messed up so many orders that his manager eventually let out the most dramatic sigh of all time. "Just go on the damn date, already," Matt sighed, shaking his head as he took over at the counter from him.

"You ready to do this?" Geoff asked, perking up with a brilliant smile the moment he saw Caleb approaching.

Much to his surprise, Caleb didn't even hesitate. His heart didn't feel scared or defensive, it was open like it had never been before. Everything with Barbara, Jeremy and Ryan had built him up for this. It hadn't broken him like he'd thought, it had prepared him to really understand what love was. It had just taken him a while to realize.

"I'm ready."

**Author's Note:**

> I started off by thinking that combining my love of Ragehappy/Shiphaus with my love of Carly Rae Jepsen was a great idea but then I got about six drabbles in (I wrote them out of order too) and my brain started leaking so yeah, some of these are good and others... not so much.


End file.
